Tucker Culbertson

Short but sweet; this is what historians say about Abraham Lincolns “Gettysburg Address” today. Abraham Lincoln was not known for being great at giving speeches, but to this day his speech has gone down in America’s history as one of the most important speeches ever. 272 words were all Lincoln said at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery dedication on November 19, 1863. Abraham Lincoln was the second person to speak that day. Although at the time Lincoln’s speech was unnoticed it has became one of the most important speeches of all time.
Abraham Lincoln, the president of the United States of America, was not the first choice to speak at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery dedication. Lincoln had a very big challenge, speaking behind Edward Everett. But, he had plenty of time to prepare and had plenty of time to think during Everett’s speech. Everett’s speech was 13,607 words and two hours long. When Lincoln walked to the podium to give his speech the estimated 15,000 people in attendance were still applauding Everett. Abraham Lincoln gave his speech that was only 272 words and a little over 2 minutes. This compared to Everett’s speech is nothing.
Abraham Lincoln’s speech at the time wasn’t thought to be a very good speech. He wasn’t known for being a good orator. However, this speech is still thought of as being one of the greatest speeches of all time. Lincoln might not have known it then, but this speech has gone down in history. 272 words were all he had to say to deliver his point and make a lasting impact on the United States of America today.
Tucker Culbertson
Fisher High School
Fisher, IL